Printer with force transmitting path selecting mechanism

Abstract

A printer has a carriage being movable between a first end and a second end of a reciprocating path; and a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second end of the reciprocating path. The selecting mechanism has: a common driving force outputting member; a plurality of force receiving members; a selecting member; and a position retainer for keeping the position of the selecting member. The selecting member connects the force outputting member to one of the plurality of force receiving members, and moves in association with the carriage when the carriage moves in a vicinity of the second end in a first direction extending from the first end to the second end. The position retainer keeps the position of the selecting member when the carriage moves in a second direction extending from the second end to the first end. The force receiving member connected to the force outputting member via the selecting member is selected in accordance with a movement of the carriage along the reciprocating path.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printer comprising:
 a printing head; 
 a carriage mounting the printing head, the carriage being movable between an end of a first side and an end of a second side of a reciprocating path extending along a predetermined direction; and 
 a driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism provided at the second side, 
 wherein the driving force transmitting path selecting mechanism comprises:
 a common driving force outputting member; 
 a plurality of driving force receiving members; 
 a movable gear configured to connect the common driving force outputting member to one of the plurality of driving force receiving members via the movable gear; 
 a movable piece configured to move along the predetermined direction and extend along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction, wherein when the carriage moves from outside a predetermined region to a first carriage position in the predetermined region, the carriage is configured to make contact with the movable piece being located at a first piece position, and when the carriage further moves from the first carriage position to a second carriage position in the predetermined region under a state of the carriage making contact with the movable piece, the movable piece is configured to move from the first piece position to a second piece position so as to cause the movable gear to move from a first gear position to a second gear position, the second gear position being closer to the end of the second side of the reciprocating path than the first gear position, the movable gear being configured to connect the common driving force outputting member to a first driving force receiving members among the plurality of driving force receiving members when the movable gear is located at the first gear position, and configured to connect the common driving force outputting member to a second driving force receiving members among the plurality of driving force receiving members when the movable gear is located at the second gear position; and 
 a position retainer configured to retain the movable piece at the second piece position when the carriage moves from the second carriage position to outside the predetermined region after the movable piece has moved to the second piece position, the movable gear being retained at the second gear position. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable piece has a rod shape. 
 
     
     
       3. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable piece is configured to extend along the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction and along a vertical direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable gear and the movable piece are separate members. 
 
     
     
       5. The printer as in  claim 4 , wherein
 the movable gear and the movable piece are configured to move integrally. 
 
     
     
       6. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the position retainer is configured to retain the movable piece by the movable piece making contact with the position retainer. 
 
     
     
       7. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 when the carriage further moves from the second carriage position to a third carriage position in the predetermined region under a state of the carriage making contact with the movable piece, the movable piece is configured to move from the second piece position to a third piece position so as to cause the movable gear to move from the second gear position to a third gear position, the third gear position being closer to the end of the second side of the reciprocating path than the second gear position, the movable gear being configured to connect the common driving force outputting member to a third driving force receiving members among the plurality of driving force receiving members when the movable gear is located at the third gear position. 
 
     
     
       8. The printer as in  claim 7 , wherein
 when the carriage further moves from the third carriage position to the first carriage position in the predetermined region under a state of the carriage making contact with the movable piece, the movable piece is configured to move from the third piece position to the first piece position so as to cause the movable gear to move from the third gear position to the first gear position. 
 
     
     
       9. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of driving force receiving members is aligned in a line. 
 
     
     
       10. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable gear comprises a spur gear that meshes with the common driving force outputting member. 
 
     
     
       11. The printer as in  claim 10 , wherein
 the spur gear further meshes selectively with each of the plurality of driving force receiving members. 
 
     
     
       12. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the position retainer comprises a guide groove that guides the movable piece. 
 
     
     
       13. The printer as in  claim 12 , wherein
 the guide groove comprises a first route for guiding the movable piece and a second route for guiding the movable piece, the second route being different from the first route, 
 the movable piece is guided along the first route in a case where the carriage moves from the first carriage position to a third carriage position via the second carriage position, and 
 the movable piece is guided along the second route in a case where the carriage moves from the third carriage position to the first carriage position. 
 
     
     
       14. The printer as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the position retainer comprises a bias member configured to bias the movable piece such that the movable piece makes contact with the carriage in the predetermined region.